Package



March 9, 1965 R.| .Joos1'EN ETAL PACKAGE Filed March 13, 1962 United States Patent O 3,172,768 PACKAGE Richard Leo liebsten, Eiinhurst, and Thomas Lawrence Phaliri, Cary, 1li., assignors to American Can Coinpany, New7 York, NSY., a corporation of New .ersey Filled Mm. 13, 1962, Sei'. No. 179,364, S Claims. (Cl. 99--171) The present invention relates to a display package. More particularly it pertains to a package in which the product is visibly displayed in a hermetically sealed, vacuumized container comprising a substantially rigid base and a preformed body secured to the base.

Although the package of the instant invention is capable of containing a plurality of products, e.g. cheese, jelly, fish, it is particularly useful to contain smoked or preserved meats in the form of individual portions, such as sliced, boiled ham, sliced bologna, a plurality of frankfurters, and the like. Without detracting from these broader aspects, the invention will be described hereinafter in relation to the packaging of such preserved meats.

A number of packages of this type have been disclosed in the prior art. However, in each of these prior art packages, special and somewhat complicated constructions to join one portion of the container to the other are necessitated to provide an abuse-resistant, hermetic seal. Obviously, such complex constructions are difficult and expensive to fabricate. Also, due to their complexity, a high proportion of these containers must be rejected for failure to produce the desired hermetic and abuse-resistant seal.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved, hermetically sealed package wherein the product packed therein is readily visible to the consumer.

Another object is to provide a hermetically sealed package, the container portion of which is produced and hermetically sealed relatively simply and inexpensively.

Yet another object is to produce a hermetically sealed package which, due to its construction, can be conveniently stacked for shipment and retailing.

Still another object is to provide a hermetically sealed package which, after initial opening, may be readily reclosed for storage of any unused product contained therein.

Another object is to product a package which, although hermetically sealed by a very simple expedient, is so constructed to protect this simple seal from accidental rupture.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the package of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along lines 2 2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along lines 3 3 of FIGURE 2.

The package of the instant invention by which the above objects are achieved comprises a substantially rigid base having a centrally disposed tray or planar portion and a peripheral ledge or skirt depending therefrom, a product to be retailed lying on said planar portion and extending upwardly therefrom, a preformed body or cover substantially in the shape of an inverted cup enclosing said product and having its lower, open end engaged in a hermetic seal with said base. As a novel means of maintaining this hermetic seal regardless of lateral flexure of the side wall of the body due to abuse 3,172,768 Patented Mar. 9, 1965 ICC or compression by the atmosphere, there is provided an outwardly directed iiexible, peripheral band or bead adjacent the lower open end of said body.

The preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention shown in the drawing has a base generally designated 10. The base 10 is made of a relatively rigid self-supporting material preferably sheet metal, e.g. tin plate; but may be made from other materials Such as plastic, paper which has been coated to render it impervious to moisture, fats and oils or the like, which have the required structural characteristics. In the embodiment illustrated, the base 10 is rectangular but may be circular if desired.

The base 16 has a central tray or panel 12 from the periphery of which depends a ledge or skirt 14. The skirt 14 and panel 12 are joined by a shoulder 16. At its lower periphery, skirt 14 extends horizontally outwardly to form a peripheral flange 17. The outer periphery of the ange 17 is formed into a peripheral curl 1S.

The curl 18 may be formed in any suitable manner but is preferably formed by curling the outermost margin of the ange 17 upwardly, outwardly and downwardly back on itself. At least a portion of the curl 18 extends above the level of the flange 17 so as to provide a peripheral channel 20 in the base 10 for a purpose more fully described hereinafter. By virtue of the dependency of the skirt 14 from the central panel 12, a concavity 22 is formed in the base 1t). This concavity is so dimensioned as to permit the entrance of the upper portion of another package to facilitate vertical stacking of a number of packages having the instant construction.

A sealing material 24 surrounds the skirt 14 from a line approximately midway down the skirt 14 to at least the juncture of the skirt 14 and iiange 17. Sealing material 24 is a relatively soft, plastic material, having rubber as a main ingredient. lt has a fair degree of surface tack so that it adheres to the skirt 14 and is capable of forming a pressure senstive bond with materials pressed thereagainst. Although the instant invention is not limited thereto, a representative formulation for the material 24 is as follows:

the base skirt 14, the solids are dissolved and dispersed in a volatile liquid such as liquid alkane, e.g. heptane. The resulting fluid composition is applied to the skirt 14 and dried to form the layer of sealing material 24.

A product 26 is supported on the panel 12 and extends upwardly therefrom. The periphery of at least that portion of the product 26 supported on the panel 12 is spaced inwardly from the shoulder 16. In other words, the base 1t) is so constructed that the transverse dimensions of the panel 12 will be greater than the corresponding transverse dimensions of the product 26. It is preferred that the product 26 be substantially regularly shaped, i.e. have at least one axis of symmetry. However, it is within the purview of the instant invention that the product may be in any form, e.g. whole, chunks, particulate, etc., and/or may be any desired shape. It is necessary only that whatever the shape of the product 26, the body of the container which will be described more fully hereinafter be preformed so as to conform substantially to the shape of the product.

It is desirable, especially in the case of comminuted and formed products such as luncheon meat, to remove as-much gas, e.g. oxygen, as possible from the product prior to packaging. This is to avoid the release of such gas into the interior ofthe package after vacuumization, thereby lessening the vacuum. rIbis gas removal can be accomplished by vacuumizing the product when it is in a comminuted state;

A body or cover generally designated 28 encloses the product 26 and is secured to the base `1t). The body 28 is of one-piecev construction, preformed before its assemblage over aproduct andV with the base to the desired shapeof the product Preferably the body 253- is made of a substantially transparent thermoplastic material having sufiicient thickness to be self-supporting and maintain substantially the shape in which it is formed. Although the body 28 could be formed from a variety of thermoplastic polymersv such asl polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene and the like, it is preferred thatthe body 28 be composed of unplasticized `polyvinyl chloride and specifically that brand of unplasticized polyvinyl chloride known commercially as glass clear Genotherm. It has been found that this particular material, in preference to other materials tested, has the desired combination of transparency, easy formability, resistance toA gas, e.g. oxygen, transmission and relatively low cost.

The body 28 has an upper end or lid generally designatedv 3G, the central portion 32 of which when the package is vacuumized, has its inner surface in intimate contact with the top surface of the product-26. in the embodiment illustrated. and in most cases of actual use, the upper surface ofthe product 26 will be substantially flat or planar whereby the central portion 32 of the end 3@v will also be substantially iiat or planar and in intimate contact with the product 26 when the package is vacuumized.

Integral with and around the periphery (or circumference if round) of the central portion 32 is an upstanding head 34 which dees not contact the product 26 under ordinary circumstances. Since the product 2t?,v whether it be sliced meats, cheese or the like, is packed by weight rather than size, slight variations occur in the height and transverse dimensions of the product supported on the base it). The bead 3/.4 provides an automatic compensation for the slight variation in product size, either by expanding or contracting as needed.

The bead 3ft merges with the side wall 3e of the body 28 whichside wall 35 extends downwardly and terminates at 3S adjacent the base panel 12. Spaced slightly upwardly from its lower terminus the side wall 3dhas an outwardly extending peripheral beadt'.' The purpose of thebead 46- is to prevent full nestingV and thereby jamf ming of a plurality of superposed bodies 2S during automatic feeding of these bodies to an assembling machine.

A flexible, peripheral band or bead42 integral with the side wall 36 and merging therewith at 38 extends outwardly and downwardly around the base shoulder 16', preferably in an arcuate or arched form, and has its lower portion sealingly engaged in the seaiing material 24. Because of its tackiness, the material 24 adhesively holds the bodyV 28 onto the base itl. lln addition to this adhesive bond, external atmospheric pressure holds the body 28 and base lil together, and forms with the material 24 a pressure sensitive seal between the skirt l4`and lower portion of the bead 42. A flange #i4 is integral with and extends outwardly from the lower periphery of the bead 42- and lies substantially fiat on the base flange 17.

Upon initial assemblage of the body 28 over the product 26 and with the base 10 prior to vacuumization, the side wall 36 tapers slightly outwardly from the bead 34 so that its lower terminus 38 is spaced outwardly from the sides of the product 26. When the vacuumized package is subjected to atmospheric pressure, the atmospheric pressure exerts an inward force on the side wall 36 tending to move the side wall 36 towards and, for the most part, into intimate engagement with the sides of the product. In the case of a round package this inward movement of the side wall 36foccurs around substantially the entire circumference. fn. the case of a square or rectangular package as illustrated, the rigid corners of the body 28 resist such inward or lateral flexure; however, from the corners the inward tlexure of the side Wall is at a maximum at the mid-portion thereof, giving the side walls of the rectangular package a somewhat arcuate contiguration as shown in FIGURE 3.

If the side wall 36 extended in a substantiallyv straight line from the bead 34 down to the sealing material 24,.

such inwardmovement thereof would cause the lower portion' of the side wall to pivot about the shoulder 16" thereby raisingthe lower portion of the side wall including the ange thereof out of contact with the sealing.' material 24, with a resultant weakening if not destruction` of the hermetic seal. The same undesirable result would obtain if during handling of the package itwere vabused so as to shift the sidewall inwardly an excessive amount.

By means of the bead 42 of the instant invention, seal failures due to lateral shifting of the side wall 36 are obviated. Due to the clearance between the base shoulder 16 and the body bead 42 any lateral shifting of the side wall 36 is automatically taken up by the bead 42- wit-hout affecting the sealing engagement ofthe lowerI portion of the bead 42 with the sealing kmaterial 24; Although illustrated as touching (which it may, if desired) in actuality, the terminus 38 of the side wall 36is spaced slightly upwardly, eg. about 0.003 in., from the base panelZ to provide a clearance for the substantially free pivotal movement of the wall 36 around' the` bead 34. Such movement causes at most only a slight oscillation of the lower portion of the bead d2 about the Ajuncture thereof with the flange 44. Such'slight oscillation, if any, in no way disrupts 'the' hermetic seal; and upon in-Y ward flexure of the wall 36', forces th'e'lower portion of the bead 42' into tighter sealing engagement with the material '24.

One portion of the periphery of the body ange is elongated to form a pull'ltab 46. In the case of rectangular containers -as illustrated, it is preferred that the pull tab Libe adjacent one corner of the package. Such positioning of the pull tab 46 simplies raising of the body flange` 44 and adjacent portion of the bead 42 out of sealing engagement with the material 24`to break the seal and thereby the vacuum within the container, thus openingJ the container. This positioning of the pull tab 46 also enables the more efficient use of material for forming the body 2S. The free end of the pull tab 46 is corrugated as shown to provide a better grab for manual grasping and lifting of the flange 44 and bead 42 out of seali`ng\d engagement with the material 24.

As'mentioned previously, the curl 18 von the base 10 is elevated above the base flange 17 to provide the peripheral channel 20 between the curl and base skirt 14. As shown in FIGURE 2, the body flange 44 land sealing areabetween the bead 42V and base skirt 14 are substantially within this channel 26. Such positioning of the bodyt liange and seal within the channel 20 protects the seal against accidental rupture due to handling abuse.

The' instant package may be assembled with relative ease by bringing the'three main elements thereof, the base l@ with the sealing material 24- positioned thereon, the product 26 andthe body 23,' together in a sealed chamber under reduced pressure of vacuum. These elements are brought together such as by supporting the product on the base panel 12 and placing thebody thereover; or by placing the product 26-within thebody 28 and placing thebase iii' over the open end of the body.

During this assembly the lower portion of the bead 42 is pressed into intimate sealing engagement with the material 24; and the body ange 44 is situated within the channel 20 in intimate contact with the base ange 17. Upon breaking the vacuum in the chamber and subjecting the assembled package to atmospheric pressure, the ilexible portions of the side wall 36 of the body 2S pivot about their upper ends moving inwardly into contact with the sides of the product 26. As mentioned previously, the tlexibility, shape and location of the bead 42 permits such inward flexing of the side wall 36 without disturbing the seal against the material 24. It is thus seen that the subject package is readily assembled Without the necessity of special high strength adhesives to rigidly bond the body to the base, or special tools to crimp and mechanically bind the body to the base.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacriiicing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

We claim:

1. A package, the interior of which is vacuumized, comprising a substantially rigid base, said base including a central panel, a skirt merging with said panel in a shoulder and depending therefrom, and a ange extending outwardly from the lower periphery of said skirt; a sealing material surrounding the lower portion of said skirt; a product in contact with and extending upwardly from said panel; and a one-piece self-supporting preformed body enclosing said product and secured to said base, said body including an upper end wall at least a portion of the inside surface of which is in intimate contact with the upper surface of said product, a side wall depending from the periphery of said end wall and terminating contiguous said shoulder, a peripheral bead extending from the terminus of said side wall outwardly and downwardly around said shoulder to said iiange, at least a portion of said bead being spaced from said shoulder, the lower portion of said bead adjacent said flange being in intimate sealing engagement with said sealing material to retain the vacuumized condition in said package, said bead permitting lateral movement of said side wall without disturbing said intimate sealing engagement.

2. A package comprising the combination of a container and a product contained therein under vacuum conditions, said container comprising:

a base having a tray portion with said product supported thereon;

a peripheral skirt depending from said tray and dening a shoulder between said skirt and said tray;

an outwardly extending tiange integral with the end of said skirt remote from said shoulder;

a cover disposed over said product and said tray and terminating in an outwardly extending ange;

a hermetic seal between the inner peripheries of said base and cover anges to retain the vacuumized condition of said package with said cover flange being in substantially iiat, superposed relation to said base tiange; and

a peripheral bead in said cover adjacent said cover ange and extending outwardly and downwardly around said shoulder in at least partially spaced relation thereto to permit lateral movement of a side of said cover without disturbing said hermetic seal.

3. In a vacuumized package including a container and a product enclosed therein; and wherein said container comprises a base and a cover; said base having a panel supporting said product and a skirt from the periphery of said panel with a shoulder at the junction of said panel and said skirt, said skirt terminating in an outwardly extending flange; said cover having an integral end wall and depending Side wall terminating in an outwardly extending ilange, and being disposed over said base and said product thereon and hermetically sealed to said base; said cover iiange being in substantially at, superposed relation to said base flange; the improvement comprising: an arcuate peripheral bead in said cover side wall adjacent said cover ilange extending around and in at least partially spaced relation to said shoulder to permit lateral movement of the upper portion of said side wall without disturbing said hermetic seal.

4. The package set forth in claim 2 wherein said bead extends in an arc outwardly from said skirt.

5. The package set forth in claim 2 wherein said product is a comestible.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,754,959 7/56 McCarty 99-171 XR 2,864,710 12/58 Pottle et al. 99-171 2,938,801 5/60 Seiferth et al. 99-171 XR 3,070,446 12/62 Seiferth et al 99-l7l 3,087,823 4/63 Hein et al. 99-174 A. LOUIS MONACELL, Primary Examiner.

ABRAHAM H. WINKELSTEN, RAYMOND N,

JONES, Examiners. 

2. A PACKAGE COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A CONTAINER AND A PRODUCT CONTAINED THEREIN UNDER VACUUM CONDITIONS, SAID CONTAINER COMPRISING: A BASE HAVING TRAY PORTION WITH SAID PRODUCT SUPPORTED THEREON; A PERIPHAL SKIRT DEPENDING FROM SAID TRAY AND DEFINING A SHOULDER BETWEEN SAID SKIRT AND SAID TRAY; AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE INTEGRAL WITH THE END OF SAID SKIRT REMOTE FROM SAID SHOULDER A COVER DISPOSED OVER SAID PRODUCT AND SAID TRAY AND TERMINATING IN AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE; BASE AND COVER FLANGES TO RETAIN THE VACUUMIZED CONDITION OF SAID PACKAGE WITH SAID COVER FLANGE BEING IN SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT, SUPERPOSED RELATION TO SAID BASE FLANGE; AND A PERIPHERAL BEAD IN SAID COVER ADJACENT SAID COVER FLANGE AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY AROUND SAID SHOULDER IN AT LEAST PARTIALLY SPACED RELATION THERETO TO PERMIT LATEIRAL MOVEMENT OF A SIDE OF SAID WITHOUT DISTURBING SAID HERMETIC SEAL. 